Stop motion for knitting machines



Feb. -26, 1935.. N A. CRAWFORD 1,992,860

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 r 11 Sheets-Sheet 1' 1935- A. CRAWFORD STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 11 She ets-Sheet a .wm wm Q% 9w Em Q3 QQ mN mN vm ms R. m R m a x A Q m4. Q 7 mm mm r k. MW s a Feb. 26, 1935. A. CRAWFORD 1 ,992,860

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 11.$ h86-tS-5h98t 4 Feb. 26, 1935. A. CRAWFORD STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 A. CRAWFORD STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 1,1, Sheets-Sheet 6 Feb. 26, 1935.

A. CRAWFORD 1,992,860

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 ll Sheets-Sheet 7 757 ?60 I 775 fli "K"!'7 Mr W Feb. 26, 1935.

A. CRAWFORD 7 STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 I1 Sheets-Sheet 8 Feb. 26, 1935. A. CRAWFORD 1,992,860

' STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES Fil ed Jun 29, 195 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 Feb. 26, 1935. A. CRAWFORD 1,992,850

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTI NG MACHINES Filed June 29, 1933 ii heets-Sheet {10 Feb. 26, 1935. I A. CRAWFORD 1,992,860

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES- Filed June 29, 1953 11 sheets-sheet 11 Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alfred Crawford, New Brunswick, N. J., assig'nor to Crawford Manufacturing Company, New Brunswick, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 29, 1933, Serial No. 678,281

39 Claims.

This invention relates to electric stop motions for circular knitting machines, and more particularly concerns machines of the type employing a plurality of individual yarn feeds which are respectively adapted to draw separate knitting threads from independent sources and to supply the threads to the needles of the machine, at relatively spaced points circumferentially of the relatively rotating needle cylinder and cam ring of the machine.

One object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and highly efficient stop motion, for this general type of machine, which will be of rugged construction and at the same time be of such a sensitive nature as to detect excessive slack or excessive tension in any one of the knitting threads, or the breaking of a thread, immediately upon the development of such abnormal condition during the normal operation of the machine, whereupon the activated detector will function to effect stopping of the machine instantaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the stopping of the machine automatically by actuation of any one of the detectors, or manually, will render subsequent actuation of each and all of the detectors ineffective as long as the machine stands idle, thereby permitting the stop motion to be reset, immediately after the machine stops and before the cause of the actuation of the previously operated detector has been corrected, which will serve a further purpose in that it will tend to reduce the possibility of the operators neglecting to reset the stop motion before restarting the machine,-after having corrected the trouble.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the detectors of the stop motion are rendered effective again and only with and by the restarting of the machine, andwhereby the detectors are effective only while the machine is running, to avoid the possibility of burning out the electrical apparatus of the stop motion, by actuation of one or more of the detectors during a long period of inactivity of the machine, such as overnight, wherein slackening of a thread or threads may be caused by vibration of the machine by surrounding conditions during such period of idleness.

The stop motion forming the subject of the present invention embodies other novel features of construction which will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings; of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a knitting machine of the type noted, equipped with a stop motion constructed and operating in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the lower detector assembly, partly in section as taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 with a portion thereof in section, as taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the coil box, as taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 6 with the cover of the coil box removed;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the upper detector assembly, as taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 99, Fig. 8;

v Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 10-10, Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of a detail of the invention, taken on the line 11-11, Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation taken onthe line 12-12, Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 13-13, Fig. 8;

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a face view of the main control switch with the cover of the switch box removed;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of lower detector assembly;

Fig. 1'? is a sectional elevation taken on the line 17-17, Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a face view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 17 with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 19 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 19-19, Fig. 16;

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of upper detector switches;

Fig. 21 is a sectional elevation taken on the Fig. is a diagram of the electric circuit employed when using the modified form of upper detector switches shown in Figs. 20 to 22.

The knitting machine illustrated in Fig. 1 is of the rib type wherein the needle cylinder and needle dial are stationary and the cylinder cam ring, dial cam plate, thread feeds, yarn sources, and the stop motion detecting and tripping mechanisms revolve about the axis of the needle cylinder. The invention is not limited to this particular type of machine as the principles and mechanisms thereof may be readily applied.to that type of machine wherein the cam ring, yarn supplies and stop motion detector and trip mechanisms are stationary while the needle cylinder revolves.

In the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, the main bed plate of the machine is indicated at 1. The bed plate 1 is supported in the usual manner, by lower frame members 2, 2. The needle cylinder 3'is supported by and fixed to the main bed plate 1 in the usual manner while the cam ring 4 revolves about the axis of the needle cylinder and is rotatably supported by the bed plate 1, said cam ring being driven in the usual manner from the main drive shaft 5 on which is secured a tight pulley 6 adjacent which a loose pulley 7 is freely rotatably mounted on the shaft 5.

As shown in Fig. 1, a driving belt 8 is in driving engagement with the tight pulley 6, said belt.

being maintained in said driving relation to the tight pulley by fork arms 9 disposed at one end of the shipper lever 10. The shipper lever 10 is pivotally mounted at 11 on a bracket 12 secured to the under frame 2 of the machine.

A spring 13, having one end attached to the shipper lever 10 and its oppositeend attached to the frame 2, at all times during normal operation of the machine tends to rock the shipper lever 10 about its pivot to shift the driving belt '8 from the tight pulley 6 to the loose pulley 7, such tendency being resisted by a shipper rod 14 having one end slidably mounted in the frame 2 and its opposite end pivotally attached to the shipper lever 10, as indicated at 15.

The shipper rod 14 is notched, as indicated at 16, for the reception of one edge of a latch arm 17 of a shipper latch 18. The shipper latch 18 is pivoted at 19 to the frame 2 and is adapted for rocln'ng movement transversely of the shipper rod 14, which, as long as the latch arm 17 remains within the groove or notch 16, maintains the said rod against longitudinal movement by the spring 13.

The latch arm 17 is resiliently maintained in its rod-locking position in the notch 16 of the shipper rod 14 by a spring 20 having one end atof illustration, may be engaged by a lever 22 fixed to the lower end of a vertical shaft 23, on the upper end of which is a cam lever 25 adapted to be engaged and rocked by projections 24a of a ring 24 which is freely and rotatably mounted in the bed plate 1, concentric with the axis of the needle cylinder 3 and the relatively rotating cam ring 4, for tripping the shipper latch 18 upon rotation of the ring 24.

The trip ring 24 is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced notches 24b intermediate the projections 24a, 24a for the reception of the lower end 26 of a vertically slidable plunger 27 which is slidably mounted in bearings 28 and 29 form of a collar 32 for one end of a spring 33,,

the opposite end of which engages the underside of the bearing 29 and tends at all times to press the plunger 27 downwardly, for projecting the lower end 26 thereof into one of the notches 24b of the trip ring 24.

Above the bearing 29 the plunger 27 is grooved or notched as indicated at 34. A lever 35, which is pivotally mounted at 36 to the bracket 80, restson top of the bracket with one end 37 thereof disposed normally within the groove 34 of the plunger 27, whereby the said plunger is maintained in a normal elevated position.

The opposite end 38 of the lever is normally in contact with the lower end of an arm 39 which is secured to a horizontally disposed rock shaft 40 said rock shaft being rotatably mounted at one end in a bearing 41 secured to one of a series of vertically extending posts 42, 42 which are carried by the rotating cam ring 4.

The opposite end of the rock shaft 40 is 1'0- tatably mounted in a bearing 43 formed on or carried by the hub 44 of a dial cap or cylinder head plate 45, which is disposed horizontally adjacent the upper end of a needle cylinder 3 and is supported by a centrally disposed standard 46. The standard 46 is fixedly secured in the hub 47 of a rotating spider 48, the radial extending arms 49, 49 of which are attached to and supported by thezupper ends of the posts 42, 42 respectively, whereby the standard 46 and plate revolve in unison with the cam ring 4.

Secured to the rock shaft 40 is a vertically extending lever 50, the upper end of which extends into a slot 51 of a bifurcated arm 52. The bifurcated arm 52 is secured to a vertically extending trip shaft 53, the lower end of which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 54 which is carried by and rigidly fixed to the previously mentioned bearing 43 of the rock shaft 40.-

The trip shaft 53 is provided with a resetting lever 55 and is connected by a more or less universal coupling 56 to an upper extension 57 of the said trip shaft 53 which, as clearly indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, is rotatably mounted in and projects downwardly from a box 60, in which is mounted the main actuating coils and other elements of the electric stop motion as will be fully disclosed hereinafter. I

The coil box 60 is rigidly secured by bolts 61, 61 to a bracket 62 which in turn is secured by bolts 63, 63 to radially extending arms 64, 64 which project from a hub 65 that is rigidly secured to the standard 46 by set screws 66, 66. The outer ends of the arm 64, 64 are attached to an annular hollow element 67 which is generally U-shaped in cross section, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and is closed on its upper side by an annular cover plate 68.

Secured to the hollow ring 67 at substantially equally spaced intervals circumferentially thereof and extending substantially radially with respect to the axis of the standard 46 is a series of detector switch housings 70.

Extending transversely of and within each of the housings 70 is a horizontally disposed spindle tively in plates or blocks 72, 72' composed in the present instance of electric insulating material of any desired kind, such for example as vulcanized fibre.

Pivotally mounted on each spindle 71 is one or more detector fingers 73 which project through slots 74, 74 in the housing 70. While in the present instance two of the detector fingers 73 are shown as extending from each of the housings 70, provision has been made in the present instance for each of said housings to accommodate two additional detector fingers. ,J

Each detector finger 73 comprises a body portion 75 in the form of a fiat plate and in order to stabilize each finger against lateral wobbling on the shaft of the spindle 71 each body portion 75 is provided with a laterally extending ear 76 having its outer end 77 bent at rightangles thereto into a position substantially parallel to and spaced from the body portion 75, whereby each finger 73 is provided with two bearing surfaces in spaced relation to each other along the spindle 71. The fingers 73, 73 are held against bodily longitudinal movement with respect to the shaft 71 by means of spacing sleeves 78, 78.

Each body portion 75 is provided with a radial extension 79 in which is supported a wire extension 80 having at its outer end an eye 81 for the reception of a porcelain or other suitable thread guide 82. Each body portion 75 is provided with a switch blade portion 83 which, when the finger is rocked about the spindle 71 is adapted to enter between resilient arms 84, 84

. of an electrical contact 85. The series of contacts 85, within each of the housings 70, is connected to a common buss bar 86 which is mounted on and supported rigidly by an insulating bar 87 which in turn is rigidly mounted at its opposite ends respectively on brackets 88 which are secured to the side walls 89, 89 of the housing 70.

In the bottom 90 of each housing 70 is a series of slots 91 one for each finger 73, into which extends a depending lug 92 formed on one end of a radially movable anchorage 93 for one end of a spring 95, the opposite end of which is connected to the body portion 75 of the finger 73 and tends at all times to swing the said finger about its supporting spindle 71, from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 to the broken line position shown in said figure, whereby the switch blade 83 will make electric contact with the switch element 85 in the housing 70.

Such swinging movement of the finger 73 is normally prevented by a knitting thread :1: passing through the porcelain eye 82 at the outer end of the finger 73 and through a pair of thread guides 96 and 97 respectively disposed above and below the said thread eye 82, normal tension on the thread a: maintaining the eye 82 in substantial alignment with the eyes 96 and 97.

The tension on the actuating spring 95 may 'be regulated to thedesired degree by moving the anchorage 93 radially with respect to the axis of the standard 46, or in other words longitudinally of the slot 91 formed in the bottom 90 of the housing 70, whereupon the anchorage 93 may be locked in its adjusted position by a clamp screw 94 extending through the slot 91 in spaced relation to the toe 92 of the anchorage 93, said locking bolt being threaded into the body of the anchorage 93.

The thread guides 96 and 97 are carried by J-shaped plates 98 and 99 respectively which in turn are adjustably carried by and frictionally held in adjusted position on substantially vertically disposed rods 100, said rods 100 being mounted in and projecting above and below horizontally disposed supports 101 which at their opposite ends are adjustably mounted in arms 102, 102.

Each of the arms 102 is pivotally mounted to one of the side walls 89 of a housing 70, as indicated at 103 in Fig. 5, said arms 102 being arranged for adjustment about their pivots 103 and to be locked in their adjusted position by screws 104 passing through segmental slots 105 formed in the arms 102, said locking screws 104 being threaded into the side walls 89 of the housings 70.

The buss bar 86 in each of the housings 70 is provided with a vertically extending tongue 106 which projects through. an opening 107 formed in the top plate 108 of the housing 70 in line with an opening 109 formed in the base 110 of the hollow ring 67, said tongue 106 projecting into the interior of the hollow ring 67 and contacting with a fixed metallic ring 111 which is rigidly mounted within the hollow ring 67 in insulating blocks 112, 112 secured within the ring 67 in any suitable manner.

Secured to the upper end of the standard 46 is a casing 115 which is provided with a series of radially extending arms 116, 116. Extending longitudinally of each radial arm 116 is a hollow shaft 117 which is rotatably mounted at 118 in the vertical side wall of the casing 115. Adjacent the outer end of each arm 116 the hollow shaft 117 supported thereby is rotatably mounted in a bearing 119 which is formed as a depending portion of a plate 120 disposed on the upper surface of the arm 116 and secured in position thereon by a screw 121, as clearly indicated in Figs. 8, 13 and 14.

Rotatably mounted within each hollow shaft 117 is a second shaft 122. Secured to the outer end of each shaft 122 is a finger 123 which comprises a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel arms 124, 124 joined at their outer ends by a cross bar 125 and at their inner ends, adjacent the shaft 22, by a cross plate 126.

Secured to the outer end of each of the arms 116 is a frame 127 which comprises a substantially fiat bar 128 of a width less than the lateral spacing of the arms 124, 124. Depending from the opposite sides respectively of the bar 128 are wings 129, 129. The said frame 127, composed of the said bar 128 and wings 129, is disposed intermediate the arms 124, 124 of the finger 123. One end of the bar 128 is bent into substantially rectangular form at one side of the wings 129 to embrace the outer end of the arm 116 as indicated at 130 in Fig. 14. The bar 128 at the opposite side of the wings 129 is bent downwardly on a gradual curve as indicated at 131, then sharply as at 132 toward the said wings 129, as indicated at 133, then upwardly between the said wings 129, 129 as indicated at 134. The lower portion 133 of said bent bar 128 is arched upwardly as indicated at 135 in opposition to a thickened crook portion 124a formed on each of the arms 124 of the finger 123.

A knitting thread :0 passes over the thickened portions 136, 186 of the arms 124, 124 of the finger 123 and under the upwardly arched portion 135 of the guard frame 127, the finger 123 holding the thread in contact with the underside of the arched portion 135 by a spring 136 having one end attached to the cross bar 126' of the finger 123 and its opposite end secured to a rivet 137 having its opposite end secured in the wings 129, 129 respectively.

Breaking of the thread :0 resulting in a movement thereof from between the upper side of the effects actuation of the stop motion in a manner hereinafter described.

In order to'facilitate rethreading, each of the arms 124 is provided with an ear 139 which projects above the downwardly curved portion 131 of the guard frame 137 when the finger 123 is in the broken line position of Fig. 14. The thread is placed over the curved portion 131 of the guard frame 127 in the form of a loop, intermediate the ears 139 and the extreme end 125 of the finger 123, and by pulling the thread loop downwardly the said loop slides along the downwardly curved portion 131 of the guard while in contact with the finger 123 the said finger being thereby moved downwardly whereby the thread loop will slip under the sharply curved end 132 of the guard and upwardly into the arched portion 135 of the guard and along the arms 124, 124 of the finger 123 into the crooked'portions 136, 136 of said arms. 4

Upward swinging movement of the arm 123 is limited by the flat plate 120 having laterally extending ears 141, 141 which project beyond the planes of the finger arms 124, 124 to be engaged thereby when the said finger moves to the broken line position shown in Fig. 14. The stop plate 120 is secured in position on the outer end of the radial arm 116 by the screw 121 which maintains the guard frame 127 in fixed relation to the arm 116.

.- Mounted on the outer end of the hollow shaft 117 is the hub 141 of a lever 142, the outer free end of which is bent at right angles, as indicated at 143, and lies in contact with the underside of the bottom portion 133 of the guard frame .127, the said laterally extending portion 143 of the lever 142 lying in the path of the arms 124, 124 of the finger 123 to be engaged thereby when, by

reason of abnormal tension developing in the thread a:, the said finger 123 is swung downwardly from its normal full line position shown in Fig. 14. Such downward movement of the finger 123 causes the said finger to contact with the extension 143 of the lever 142, continued downward movement of the finger 123 thereby'efiecting downward movement of the outer end of the lever 142 which in turn eifects rotation of the hollow shaft 117 by which the stop motion will riphery of a second horizontally disposr T1 disc 159, arranged in superposed spaced relat-rm to the first said disc 154.

Rocking of the shaft 117 by abnormal tension developing in the thread min the manner above noted will effect rotation of theupper disc 159- in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, while rotation of the shaft 122, as above noted, as resulting from the breaking of the thread a:

will effect rotation of the lower disc 154 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8.

The upper disc 159 carries a switch blade 166 adapted, upon the said counterclockwise rotation of the disc 159, to enter between switch blades 161, 161 carried by a bus bar 162 which is maintained in a fixed position within the casing 115. The lower disc 154 is provided with a switch blade-163 which, when the said disc is rotated in a clockwise direction, as above noted, is adapted to enter between and engage switch blades 164, 164- carried by the said buss bar 162.

The buss bar 162 is secured to an insulating block 165 by rivets 166, 166 as shown in Fig 12.

The insulating block 165 is in turn rigidly secured to a bridge element 167 by a screw 168. The

bridge element 167 is secured at its opposite ends at diametrically opposed points onto the side walls of the casing 115 by screws 169, 169.

The lower disc 154 is provided with a pivot stud 170 which is freely rotatably mounted in a counterbore 171 axially disposed in a fixed post 172 secured in the casing 115 in axial alignment with the standard 46. The lower disc 154 tends to move in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, under the influence of a spring 173 wrapped about the stud 170 and having one end anchored in the post 172 and its opposite end anchored in the disc 154.

The upper disc 159 is provided with a short trunnion 174 having a pointed end resting in a correspondingly shaped opening formed in the center of ,the upper end of the stud 170; and a second short trunnion having a pointed end centering in a correspondingly shaped cavity formed in the lower end of a bearing screw 176 carried by the bridge element 167. disc 159 tends to move in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, under the influence of a spring 177 wrapped about a screw 178 carried by the bridge element 167 with one end of the spring anchored to said bridge element and the opposite end of said spring anchored to the disc-159.

Actuation of the lower disc 154 to bring the switch blade 163 into engagement with the switch blades 164 against the action of the spring 173 is eifected by the above noted rocking of any one of the inner shafts 122 when the finger 123 attached to such shaft is released by the breaking The upper 1 of the thread a: running over such finger, whereby the rocking of the said shaft 122 by its actuating spring 136 rocks the lever disposed at the opposite end of said shaft 122.

Actuation of the upper disc 159 to bringthe switch blade into engagement with the switch blade 161 is effected by one of the outer or tubular shafts 117 when the tension on the thread :1: associated therewith increases to such an extent that the finger 123 is swung downwardly into contact with the lever 142 and the downward movement of the finger 123 is continued and swings the lever 142 correspondingly downward, whereby the shaft 117 is rocked about its axis and the lever 155 on said shaft is correspondingly rocked and turns the disc 159 in, the manner above noted.

Resistance to such rocking of each instance is provided by a spring 180 (see Figs. 9 and 10) wherein one end of the spring is connected to an extension 181 of the lever 155 while the opposite end of the spring is connected to a tensioning spider 182. In the present illustration there are eight angularly spaced radially extending shafts 117 and an individual spring 180 for each, and in order to provide proper working the Shaft 117 in clearance within the casing alternate ones of the spring are connected to one tensioning spider 182 while the springs of the intermediate shafts 117 are connected to a similar vertically spaced tensioning spider 18211. In the first instance the extension levers 181 project downwardly from the shafts 117 while in the second instance the extension levers 181a project upwardly from the shafts 117. The said tensioning spiders 182 and 182a in view of the reverse order of the extension levers 181 and 181a are arranged to be moved in opposite circular directions about the axisof the post 172 upon which the hubs 183 and 183a of the spiders 182, 182a respectively are mounted.

Movement of the spiders 182, 182a in the opposite directions, as above noted, to apply the proper tension to the springs 180 for holding the levers 142 in their normal inactive positions illustrated in Fig. 14 is accomplished by adjusting screws 184, 184a having ball heads 185, 185a seated in sockets 186, 186a formed in the side wall ofthe easing 115. The adjusting screws 184, 1840. are threaded into the ends of pivot studs 188, 188a secured in the spiders 182, 182a. respectively. Limit sleeves 187, 187a. are carried by the screws 184, 184a between the studs 182, 1820, and the wall of the casing 115, to limit the extent of movement of the spiders by the screws.

The coil box 60 is insulated electrically from its supporting bracket 62 by means of an insulating sleeve 190 and insulating washers 191, 191 surrounding each of the securing bolts 61 which pass through supporting lugs 192 projecting from and formed integral with the base 193 of the coil box 60. The extension 57 of the control shaft 53 passes through an opening 194 in the bracket 62 (see Fig. 6) without making contact with the said bracket and the said extension 57 is insulated from the shaft 53 by the coupling 56 between the two being composed of insulating material.

The insulating of the coil box 60 and the extension 57 of the shaft 53 from the other metallic portions of the machine is provided for the reason that, as will be hereinafter clearly set forth, the coil box 60 actually forms a conductor in one side of the electrical circuit of the stop motion while the other metallic portions of the machine, not otherwise electrically insulated from each other, constitute a conductor in the second side of the electrical circuit.

The coil box 60 is provided with a cover 195 which is secured to the base 193 by means of screws 196 and 197 (see Fig. 2). Mounted within the box 60 is a pair of magnetic coils 200, 200, the ends of the cores 201 of which are arranged in a common plane adjacent aplane surface 202 of a latch lever 203. The latch lever 203 is pivotally mounted at 204 on the base 193 of the box 60, and is provided with the latch arm 205. The latch arm 205 engages the free end of a lever 206, which is pivoted at 207 to the base 193. The lever 206 is provided with a longitudinally extend ing slot 208 in which is disposed a roller 209 that is rotatably mounted on a pin 210 projecting downwardly from a horizontally extending longitudinally shiftable switch bolt 211, which is slidably mounted in bearings 215 and 215 formed on the base 193 of the box 60.

The switch bolt 211 is provided with an opening 212 into which projects a downwardly extending end 214a of an arm 214 which is secured to the upper end of the extension shaft 57.

One end 216 of the switch bolt 211 normally projects between and contacts with switch blades 217 projecting laterally from a short bar 218 which is secured by a screw 219 to an'insulating block 220 rigidly mounted in the box 60 on the base 193 thereof.

The switch bolt 211 is provided with a lateral extension 221 between one side of which and a lug 212 in the base of the box 60 is a spring 213 which tends at all times to slide the bolt 211 in a direction away from the switch blades 217, such tendency being resisted by and through the roller 209 on the switch bolt 211 being held in the slot 208 of the lever 206, which latter in turn is prevented from swinging about its pivot 207 by the latch 205, said latch being maintained in its leverholding position by a spring 222 wound around the pivot 204 of the latch lever 203 and having one of its ends 223 in contact with the lever 203 and its opposite end 224 in contact with the stop lug or stud 225 projecting upwardly from the base 193 and which also functions as a stop to maintain the face 202 of the latch lever 203 in definite relation to the ends of the cores 201 of the coils 200.

Secured to the insulating block 220 in the coil box 60 is a terminal plate 230 which is provided with a pair of terminal screws 231 and 232.

Mounted on the standard 46 above the hollow ring 67 is a hub 233 having radially extending arms 234, theouter ends of which are secured to brackets 235 which collectively support an electrical conductor ring 236 in concentric relation to the axis of the standard 46.

Contacting with the underside of the conductor ring 236 is the free end of a trolley lever 237. The trolley 237 is pivoted at 238 to a head 239 formed on one end of the horizontally extending rod 240, a spring 241 tending at all times to press the trolley 237 into firm contact with the lower surface of the trolley ring 236. The supporting rod 240 is secured in a head 242 carried on the upper end of a post 243, the lower end of which is mounted in a fibre sleeve 244. The insulating sleeve 244 is mounted in a bearing 245 formed on a C-clamp 246 secured to the base plate 1.

Secured to the frame 2 at the side of the machine adjacent the driving pulleys is a main control switch box 250 in which is pivotally mounted, at 251, a switch lever 252, the lower end 253 of which is maintained at all times in contact with the freeend of the shipper rod 14. The upper end 254 of the switch lever 252 is arranged to engage a switch blade 255 mounted on an insulating block 256 rigidly secured in the switch box 250. A spring 257 having one end connected to the switch box and its opposite end connected to the upper end 254 of the lever 252 tends to maintain contact at all times between the upper end 254 of the switch lever 252 and the switch blade 255 and at the same time maintain contact between the lower end 253 of the lever 252 and the free end of the shippefi rod 14.

In the electric circuit illustrated in Fig. 23, the switch blade 255 is connected by a conductor A to one side of a source of electric energy C. The switch box 250 and the other metallic portions of the machine as 'a whole, and which are not otherwise electrically insulated one from the other, constitute a conductor A in series circuit with the conductor A through the switch blade 255 and switch lever 254 within the main control box 250.

The second side of the source of electric energy C is connected by a conductor B to the lower end of the trolley-supporting post 243. The side B of the circuit follows through the trolley lever 237 which is connected to the trolley ring 236 while the opposite end is connected to the binding post 231 in the coil box 60.

The second binding post 232 on the conductor bar 230 is connected by a conductor B to one side of each of the coils 200, the second side of each of said coils being connected by a conductor B to the binding post 219 on the switch bar 218 within the box 60.

The B side of the electric circuit in the stop motion continues through the switch blade 217 and switch bolt 211 to and through the box 60 as a whole, the said box being connected in turn by a conductor B to the conductor ring 111 disposed in and insulated from the hollow ring 57.

The B side of the circuit then continues from the conductor ring 111 through each of the tongues 106 to the buss bars 86 mounted in and insulated from the boxes 70, 70 carried by the said ring 67.

The B side of the circuit terminates in the series of switch blades in the boxes 70 which are adapted to be engaged by the switch blades: 83 on the detector fingers 73, said switch blades 83 constituting terminals of the A-A side of the circuit, whereby excessive slack in one of the threads .1": will permit the switch blade 83 of the A-A side of the circuit, controlled by said thread, to engage its cooperating switch blade terminal 35 of the B side of the circuit to close the circuit and thereby energize the coils 200.

Energization of the coils 200 attracts the surface 202 of the latch lever 203 toward the ends of the cores 201 of said coils, thereby swinging the latch lever 203 about its pivot 204 and at the same time releasing the latch 205 from the holding lever 206 which immediately swings about its pivot 207 and permits the roller 209 of the switch bolt 211 to run longitudinally in the slot 203 of the lever 206.

As the switch bolt 211 moves longitudinally under the influence of the spring 213, such longitudinal movement of the switch bolt 211 draws the end 216 thereof out of electrical contact with the switch blades 217, whereby the circuit to the coils 200 is broken and the latch lever 203 immediately released, whereupon the latch lever swings to its normal position against the stop 225 under the influence of its controlling spring 222, ready for the resetting of the stop motion.

The spring 213 continues to move the switch bolt 211 longitudinally, which eflects rocking of the extension shaft 57 and a consequent turning of the lower shaft 53. Rocking of the shaft 53 rocks the lever 52 which in turn rocks the lever 50. Rocking of the lever 50 in one direction rocks the lever 39 in an opposite direction through the shaft 40. The lever 39 being in engagement with the plunger-holding lever 35 rocks the same about its pivot and releases the end 37 thereof from the notch 34 in the plunger 27. The plunger 27 is immediately lowered by its spring 33, bringing the lower end 26 of the plunger into one of the recesses 24b in the floating trip ring 24.

The dropping of the plunger 27 into the floating ring 24 looks said ring to the then rotating cam ring 4, whereby the trip ring 24 rotates about the axis of the needle cylinder and through the cam lever 25 rocks the shaft 23 and the lever 22 which due to its contact with thegarm 21 of the shipper latch 18, rocks said shipper about its pivot'19 releasing the end 17 thereof from thenbtch 1 6 in the shipper rod 14. I The spring 13 then functions towing the 1,092,860 and trolley ring 236 to a conductor B one end of shipper lever 10 about its pivot 11, thereby swinging the opposite end of the shipper lever and the fork 9 carried thereby in an opposite direction and carrying the driving belt 8 oiT the tight pulley 6 on to the loose pulley 7, whereupon the machine stops.

The swinging of the shipper lever 10 in the direction noted produces longitudinal movement of the shipper rod 14 which, by reason of its contact with the lower end 253 of the switch lever 252 in the main control box 250, opens the side A-A of. the stop motion circuit and thereby completely deenergizes all of the metallic portions of the machine.

The operator may then by grasping the resetting lever 55 on the shaft 53, turn the said shaft in an opposite direction to that by which it had been previously moved under the influence of the spring 213 in the coil box 60. Such reverse rotation of the shaft 53 and its upper extension 57 will slide the switch bolt 211 in a direction against the action of the spring 213 which swings the holding lever 206 about its pivot until the free end of said holding lever passes under and snaps behind the shoulder at the free end of the latch 205.

The B side of the circuit is then recompleted by the making of the contact between the end 216 of the switch bolt 211 and the switch blade 217. However, the detectors are still ineffective by reason of the breaking oi the contact between the end 254 of the switch lever 252 and the switch blade 255 whereby the A-A side of the circuit remains open until the shipper lever. 10 is manually moved in an opposite direction to carry the driving belt 8 from the loose pulley 7 on to the tight pulley 0, at which time the shipper latch 13 is repositioned in the groove 16 of the shipper rod 14, and the switch lever 252 is swung by its spring 257 to remake the contact between the end 254 of the switch lever 252 and the switch blade 255.

The coil box 60 is connected by a conductor B to the buss bar 162 in the top casing which, as above noted, is insulated from the metallic portions of the casing and the operating mechanism'enclosed thereby, which latter constitute a continuation of the A--Al side of the circuit of the stop motion.

Should one of the threads :1: break, the lower disc 154 in the casing 115 is swung in a clockwise direction as noted above bringing the switch blade 163 into contact with the switch bladeld, whereby the circuit between the A A side and the B side of the stop motion electric'circuit would be closed and the coils 200 energized in the manner above noted, thereby efiecting stopping of the machine.

If excessive tension should develop in any one of the threads :1: the upper disc 159 in the casing 115 would be swung in a counterclockwise direction, as noted above. bringing the switch blade into contact with the switch blade 161, thereby closing the circuit in the manner noted and energizing the coils 200 through and by which stopping of the machine is eifected.

In each of the latter instances the current would flow from the A-A side of the circuit to the B side of the circuit through the buss bar 162 and follow through the conductor B to the body of the coil box 60, hence through the switchbolt 211 to the switch blade 217 and conductor B to the one side of the coil 200 and from the other side of said coils through the conductor B, conductor bar 230 and the conductor B to the trolley ring 236 from which the current flows through the trolley lever 237 and post 243 back to the conductor B and the source of electric energy C.

As a modification of the invention, the individual switch for each of the detector fingers 73 may be eliminated and a single switch provided to be actuated by any one of the said detector fingers, in which case the fixed conductor ring 111 in the hollow housing ring 67 is replaced by a substantially floating ring 260 (see Fig. 16). The floating ring 260 is provided with a plurality of lugs 261, each of which has an opening for the reception of a pin 262 projecting vertically from a lever 263 which is pivotally mounted at 264 in the base of the hollow ring. Encircling the pivot pin 264, of at least one of the link levers 263, is a spring 265, one end of which bears against a lateral projection on the lever 263 while the opposite end of the spring is seated in an opening 266 formed in the base of the hollow ring, said spring or springs tending at all times to move the ring 260 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 16.

The floating ring 260 is provided with a radial extension 267 which normally bears against a stop lug 268 which is secured to an insulating block 269 disposed in a circularly bulged portion of the ring 67a; whereby clockwise movement of the said floating ring is limited. The projection 267 carries an electrical contact 271 arranged when the floating ring 260 is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as will be hereinafter described, to contact with an electric contact 271a supported by a bracket 272 which is secured to the insulating block 269 by a terminal screw 273.

In the case of the modification the electrical conductor B which in the preferred form of the invention connects the coil box 60 with the fixed electrical conducting ring 111, connects the coil box 60 with the terminal screw 273, the floating 1 ring 260 in such instance forming a part of the A-A side of the circuit while the electrical contact 271a forms a terminal of the B side of the circuit, as clearly illustrated in the electrical diagram shown in Fig. 24.

The floating ring 260 is moved in a counterclockwise direction by a lever 275 secured to the inner end of a horizontally radially extending shaft 276, said shaft being rotatably mounted in a bearing,277 secured to and extending radially from the housing ring 67a.

Secured to the outer end of the shaft 276 is a lever 279 arranged to be engaged by a projection 288 extending from the rear edge of a hinged plate 289. The plate 289 is pivotally mounted on the spindle 290 having its opposite ends rigidly secured in side walls 291 of a housing 292, said housing being secured by screws 293 to a transversely extending plate 294 formed on and integral with the outer end of the bearing bracket 277.

Pivotally mounted on a spindle 295 which is rigidly mounted in the housing 292 in substantially parallel relation to the spindle 290 is a series of detector fingers 296, each'of which is provided with an extension 297 adapted to engage the free edge 298 of the hinged plate 289 a tension sprng 299functioning to maintain contact between the extension 297 of the detector fingers 296 and the edge 298 of the hinged plate 289 and to maintain contact of the lug 288 of the hinged plate 289 with the free end of the lever 279, the lever 279 through the shaft 276 and lever 275 tending to' move the floating ring 260 in a counterclockwise direction to make contact between the points 271, 271a, such tendency being restricted by the thread eye 300 at the free end of the detector finger 296 lying adjacent a thread guide opening 301 formed in a. thread guide ring 302 and a knitting thread :c, under normal tension, passing through the thread eyes 300 and .301 and thereby maintaining the said detector finger in a normal inactive position.

Upon abnormal slack developing in the thread a or the breaking of the thread the finger 296 will be released whereby the ring 260 will be moved in counterclockwise direction as above noted bringing the contacts 271-271a into electrical contact with each other and thereby completing the circuit between the A-A and the B side of the circuit of the stop motion by which the coils 200 will be energized to effect stoppng of the machine in the manner above noted.

In the modified form of upper detector switches shown in Figs. 20, 21 and 22, each of the shafts 12211, at its end within the upper casing a, is provided with a lever 150a which is provided w;th a laterally extending portion 15% which crosses the vertical plane of and engages an insulating strip 310 secured to the lower arm 311 of a rockable switch element 312.

Each of the rockable switch elements 312 is pivoted at 313 to an ear 314 forming part of, or secured to, a conductor ring 315 which is secured to an insulating ring 316 rigidly mounted in the upper casing 115a.

Also secured to the insulating ring 316 is a second conductor ring 317 which is provided with ears 318, one for each of the shaft-supporting arms 116a. On each ear 318 is a fixed switch terminal 319 which is adapted to be engaged by the upper arm 320 of the rockable switch element 312.

Each rockable switch element 312 is provided with a spring 321 having one end anchored to the lower arm 311 thereof, and its opposite end anchored to a post 322 depending from the insulating ring 316, which holds the insulating block 310 of said arm 311 in contact with the projection 15Gb of the arm 150a,. said arm and the shaft 122a to which it'is connected being normally held in the position shown in Fig. 21 by the thread a: lying between the upper side of the finger 123 and the under side of the upwardly curved portion of the guard 127 at the outer end of the radial arm 116.

Should the thread :0 break and permit the finger 123 to swing upwardly the shaft 122a will rock and thereby causethe lever a to rock in the direction of the arrow 2 (Fig. 21) thereby rocking the switch element 312 about its pivot 313 bringing. the upper arm 320 of the said switch element 312 into electric contact with the fixed switch terminal 319.

Should the thread :1: become excessively taut the finger 123 will be swung downwardly thereby, into engagement with the lever 142, thereby rocking the tubular shaft 117a and consequently causing a lateral extension b of the lever 155d on the inner end of the shaft 1170. to swing in the direction of the arrow y (Fig. 21) into engagement with the insulating strip 310 on the lower arm 311 of the switch element 312, thereby swinging said switch element until the upper arm 320 thereof engages the fixed switch terminal 319 of the conductor ring 317.

As clearly shown in Fig. 25, the conductor ring 317 is electrically connected by a wire B to the terminal 196 on the coil box 60 and the conductor ring 315 is connected by a wire B to the trolley ring 236.

The trolley ring 236 is also connected by a wire B to the conductor ring 111 in the annular,

housing 67, which is electrically connected to the fixed switch terminals 85, 85 which cooperate with and are engaged by the detector finger switch blades 83, 83.

The fingers 83, 83, in this instance, instead of being grounded in the machine and thereby being connected directly to the A-A side of the circuit, are insulated from the machine, by reason of their pintles '71 being mounted in the fibre plates 72; '72 in the housings 70; and by the metallic brackets 93, to which the finger-actuating springs 95 are attached, being supplanted by similar brackets composed of electric-insulatlug material.

- The finger switch blades 83, 83 in this instance are connected by a common conductor B and a wire B to the terminal 19'?! of the coil box so.

The coil cut-out switch element 217, as usual is connected to one side of each of the coils 200 of the trip motor, while thersecond side of each of the coils 200 is connected to the AA side of the circuit by being directly connected to an uninsulated portion of the machine.

By referring to Fig. 25, it will be obvious that current flows from the source C through the trolley lever 237 and trolley ring 235, thence through the conductor B to the conductor ring 315 and thence to the rockable switch elements 312.

Upon any one of the switch elements 312 en gaging its associated fixed switch terminal 312, 'the current, willflow to and through the conductor ring 317, through the conductor B to the coil box 60, through the sliding cut-out switch element 211-216 to and through the fixed switch element 217, from which the current will flow. through the conductor B to'the coils of the trip motor 200. From the trip motor coils 200 the current will flow directly to and through the on insulated portions of the machine, constituting the A portion of the circuit, to the switch terminal 255, thence through the switch lever to the A portion of the circuit back to the source C, causing the trip motor to effect stopping or the machine and at the same time opening the cut-out switch 211--217, whereby the coils 200 become deenergized immediately and the main switch 254 is opened permitting immediate resetting of the stop motion.

The lower detector switch terminals 85, receive current from the trolley ring 236 through the conductor B and ring 111 and when one of the associated detector blades 83 engages its associated fixed terminal current flows through "the conductors B and B to the coil box cc,

thereby eii'ecting actuation ofthe trip motor 200 in the manner above noted.

Should it, be desirable to use the modification of lower detector. assembly shown in Figs. 16 to 19 inclusive with the modification of the upper detector assembly shown in Figs. 20 to 22 inclusive, the substitution can be readily made (see Fig. 25), by connecting the conductor 13 to the floating switch ring 260 and, the conductor B to the fixed switch terminal 271a.

out switch 216-217 will operate to deenergize the trip motor 200 immediately after the said trip motor has operated to release the slide bar 211, thus causing the machine to be stopped and in so doing the switches 254-255 will be opened, permitting the stop motion to be reset immediately but maintaining the stop motion inefiectivee until the shipper lever 10 has been manually operated to shift the driving belt C from the loose pulley '7 to the tight pulley 5, whereby the switches 254-.-255 are closed and the stop motion again becomes efiective, but,"before operating the shipper lever 10 to move the belt onto the tight pulley, the plunger 27 must be raised manually and locked in its raised position by swinging the end 3'7 of the lever 35 onto the groove 34 or" the trip plunger 2'7, to release the trip ring as from the rotatable cam ring 4, otherwise the stop motion would be retripped immediately upon starting the machine.

The cut-out switch 216-217 for the trip motor coils 200 may function conjunctively or alternately with the main switch 254-255 to interrupt the flow oi current to and through the various elements of the machine.

When the machine is stopped by manual operation of the belt lever in, without tripping the stop motion, the main switch 254-255 functions to cut ofl the current from the machine.

When the machine is stopped, as by interruption of the driving power of the machine, without operation oi the belt lever 10, the main switch remains closed. In the course of time, slack may develop inthe knitting threads causing the slack detectors so or'215, as the case may be, to close the circuit to the trip motor, whereupon, and by operation oi the trip. motor, the cut-=out switch 215-217 is opened and cuts oil the current from the machine, thus eliminating any and all danger attending heating up of the motor coils 200.

When the machine is automatically stopped by actuation of the trip motor as a result of a closing of the motor circuit by one of the slack detector switches above noted or by the closing of one of the excess tension switches -461, 162-463, both the main switch and the trip mo tor cut-out switch operate to cut oif the current from the machine.

These two switches are independently operable for resetting the stop motion. In resetting the stop motion the trip motor cut-out switch may be closed at any time by turning the resetting shaft 53 through the lever 55. It is preferable that the stop motion circuit should not be completed until or after the belt shifter 10 has been actuated to the machine starting position.

If there be no slack in the threads the closing or the main switch may be effected automatically by the spring 257 of the main switch 254-255.

11 there be slack in any of the threads, such as would be caused by the operator tying a thread which has broken and by which the trippin of the stop motion has been effected, the operator may set the stop motion and start the machine without the necessity of taking up the slack in the thread. Normally, under automatic closing of the main switch simultaneously with the shifting of the lever 10 to the machine starting position, such slack would immediately eflect retripping of the stop motion by operation of the slack detector controlled by'the slack thread. Such retripping is prevented in the" present case by the operator manually holding the main switch lever 253 in the switch opening position when sbiitingthelever 10 to themachinostartingposition and until the .slack is taken up by the knitting operations of the machine, whereupon the operator may release the lever 253 and permit the spring 257 to close the main switch automatically.

I claim: V

1. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, an electric circuit including a thread controlled switch, a trip motor, a main switch, a cut-out switch for said trip motor operable conjunctively and alternatively with said main switch for deenergizing said circuit, and means controlled by the trip motor tor eflfecting' actuation of the drive control, the cutout switch and the main switch upon actuation of the thread controlled switch.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, an electric circuit including a thread controlled switch, a trip motor, a cutout switch for said trip motor, and a main switch,

means controlled by the trip motor for efiecting drive control means, an electric circuit including lit) a thread controlled switch, a trip motor, a cut; out switch for said trip motor, and a main switch, means controlled by the trip motor for effecting actuation of the drive control, the cut-out switch and the main switch upon actuation of the thread controlled switch, means for resetting the cutout switch prior to resetting of the thread controlled switch, and independent means for resetting the main switch subsequent to the resetting of the thread controlled switch.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, an electric circuit including a thread controlled switch, a trip motor,-a cutout switch for said trip motor, and a main switch, means controlled by the trip motor for effecting actuation of the drive control, the cut-out switch and the main switch upon actuation of the thread controlled switch, means for resetting the cut out switch, means for resett ng the drive control, and means synchronized with the last said means for resetting the main switch.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, an electric circuit including a thread controlled switch connected across the circuit, a trip motor and a cut-out switch series coupled in one side of the circuit, a'main switch series coupled in the second side of the circuit,- means controlled by'the trip motor for actuating the control means, the cut-out switch and the main switch upon actuation of the thread con- "trolled switch, and separate means for independently resetting said switches respectively.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, an electric'circuit comprising a plurality of thread controlled switches coupled in multiple across said circuit, a trip motor and a cut-out switch series coupled in one side of said circuit, a main switch series coupled in the second side of said circuit, means controlled by the trip motor for actuating the cut-out and main switches and said control means upon actuation of any one of said thread controlled switches, and means for independently resetting said switches respectively.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, aplurality of thread detectors, a thread controlled switch common to out switch and a main switch included in an electric circuit with said common switch, means controlled by the trip motor for actuating the cut-out and main switches upon actuation of said common switch, means controlled by the trip motor for actuating 'the drive control, means for resetting 'the cut-out switch to reestablish the circuit to one side of the common switch, and independent means for resetting the main switch to reestablish the circuit to the second side of said common switch.

8. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, a series of thread detectors, an independent thread controlled switch for each detector, a second series of thread de tectors, a thread controlled switch common to said second series of detectors. an electric circuit including said thread controlled switches, a trip motor, a cut-out switch for the trip motor and a main switch, means controlled by the trip motor for actuating the drive control means and the cut-out and main switches upon actuation of any one of said thread controlledswitches, means for resetting the cut-out switch, and independent means for resetting the main switch.

9. In a knitting machine, the comb nation of drive control means, a series of thread detectors, an independent thread controlled switch for each detector, asecond series of thread-detectors, a thread controlled switch common to said second series of detectors, an electric circuit including said thread controlled switches, a trip motor, a cut-out switch for the trip motor and a main switch means controlled by the trip motor for actuating the drive control means and the cut-out and main switches upon actuation of any one of said thread controlled switches, means for resetting the cut-out switch, independent means for resetting the main switch, and means for resetting the common switch upon reestablishing normality of the actuated detector.

10. In a knitting machine, the combination 0 drive control means, a series of thread detectors divided into a plurality of groups, a thread controlled switch common to each group, a trip motor, a cut-out switch and a main switch connected in electric circuit with said common switches for actuation by operation of a common switch by one of said detectors, means for resetting the cut-out switch, means for independently resetting the main switch, and means for resetting the actuated common switch upon establishment of normalcy in the actuated detector.

11. In a knitting machine, the combination of drive control means, a plurality of radially disposed angularly ed thread detectors, 9. thread controlled switch for each detector, a conductor ring to which one terminal of each thread controlled switch is electrically connected in one side of an electric circuit, a trip motor and a cut-out switch therefor, a trolley ring concentrically disposed with respect to the said conductor ring and a relatively rotating trolley engaging said trolley ring all connected in series in the said one side or the electric circuit, a main switch connected in series with the sec: end terminal of each of said thread controlled switches, and means actuated by operation of am one of said thread controlled switches for actuating the trip motor, the cut-out switch and the drive control means.

a group of said detectors, a trip motor, a cut- 

